Service-Learning Project Reflection Paper

After observing the amount of litter, trash, and dead trees across my local park during my service-learning project, my insight about pollution and the cutting down of trees increased and lead me to have more empathy about the issue I was researching. For my service-learning project I participated in “Clark Park Cleanup”, the purpose of which was to assist in cleaning up Clark Park, planting trees, and promoting the importance of trees and clean parks for our environment. While completing this project I learned many things, some of which being the importance trees have on our environment, and how having clean parks are beneficial for our nation. It helped me understand the issue I was researching more deeply and helped me connect with the issue.
Three words that best describe my service-learning experience would be enlightening, appreciative, inspirational. This experience was enlightening as it brought stuff I didn’t have prior knowledge of to my attention, it enlightened me to the fact that trees are being cut down not only in rainforests but also in local parks, and across the city. It also made me appreciate nature, since I was working so close to nature and I could see how it would be affected by deforestation and by pollution, since if we don’t get these issues under control it could spiral out of control. I was …show more content…
I have more empathy because through this experience I more closely observed how nature works and why it is important for us. I also noticed how with less pollution and trash in our parks they more aesthetically pleasing, which is helpful to the community because it becomes a place for families and friend to relax and coexist in peace. This also gives trees and parks a better use, which in turn might lead to less trees being cut down since they have uses other than what usually thought of, and that would reduce